Container closure



I Nov. 24, 1964 p, KNAPP ETAL 3,158,278

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Feb. 4. 1960 FIGI.

IHHIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIII'I 1F no.2

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INVENTORS RALPH P.|\NAPP CLAUDE C. ALEXANDER ELI'FRANK ANDERSEN ATTYs.

United States Patent C 3,158,278 CGNTAINER CLQSURE Ralph P. Knapp and Claude C. Alexander, (Ihicago, llL,

The present invention relates to new and useful im-. provements in container closures and more particularly to new and useful improvements in a tamper-proof closure for a bottle or other container which is of relatively simplified construction and may be easily and economically manufactured and assembled.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our prior application, Serial Number 830,386, filed July 29, 1959.

Prior to the present invention, a tamper-proof closure for containers generally comprised a removable top portion connected to a depending retaining ring portion by means of a series of fracturable bridge members with the retaining ring portion having a lower edge secured to the container by being crimped about an annular shoulder on the neck of the container. With these prior closures, when it was desired to remove the closure from the bottle the top portion was severed from the ring portion by fracturing the bridge connections. This left the ring portion of the closure locked on the neck of the container in a position which might possibly interfere with the normal use of the container. This construction presented to the user of the container the undesirable choice of either retaining the ring on the neck of the container or using an instrument to facilitate the removal of the ring. The conventional prior tamper-proof caps of this type usually consisted of an upper threaded cap member and a lower ring portion connected to the upper cap member by a series of frangible bridges and adapted to be crimped under a flange on the container to hold the cap in place. With this prior construction, the lower ring portion could not be removed from the container after the container was opened and also normally would not drop down on the neck of the container to give a visual indication that the container had previously been opened.

Additionally, other prior tamper-proof caps of this general type, have indexing means on the retaining ring portion of the cap which require that the cap be positioned in a pre-determined relation with respect to the container before being applied to the container. This construction prevented the caps from being applied to the container by automatic capping machines instead requiring that the cap or closure element be manually positioned relative to the container.

With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel tamper-proof closure for a container having a retaining ring portion thereon that must be severed from the top portion of the closure in order to initially open the container but wherein the retaining ring portion may be easily removed from the container after the container is opened.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a novel tamper-proof cap or closure member for a container which may be applied to the container by means of a conventional automatic capping equipment and which does not have to be indexed relative to the container before being positioned on the container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel tamper-proof container closure which will give a visual indication of the fact that the closure has previously been opened.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel tamper-proof cap or closure element for a container which is of relatively simplified construction,

I 3 ,158,278 Patented Nov. 24, 1964 may be manufactured easily and cheaply, and is entirely efficient and effective in operation and use.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the operation and construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the cap of the present invention prior to being secured to a container;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the upper end of the container to which the cap is applied;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the cap of the present invention positioned over the neck of a container;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the cap secured to the thread of the container; 1

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the position of the lower ring after opening the container; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 7-7, FIG. 4 illustrating the interengagement between the lower retaining ring portion of the cap and the container.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 16 designates generally a container closure element made in accordance with the present invention and adapted to be secured over the opening of a container 11. The closure element 10 preferably is formed of a thin readily deformable sheet metal such as aluminum but it will be apparent that closure element may be formed of any suitable material. The container 11 may be a bottle or the like having a reduced neck portion 12 with a spiral thread 13 or other similar locking means formed thereon. An annular flange 14 is formed on the neck of the container beneath the threaded portion 13 and positioned about the outer peripheral edge of the annular flange 14 is a series of spaced axially extending ribs 15 which eX- tend from the bottom of the flange 14 toward the top portion of the flange and taper inwardly at their upper ends to facilitate placement of the closure element on the container. n

In accordance with the present invention, the closure element 10 comprises a cap portion 16 which is adapted to fit over the open upper end of the container to close the same, and a retaining ring portion 17 formed in tegrally with the cap portion and projecting downwardly from the lower edge of the cap portion. The retaining ring portion of the closure is secured to the bottom of the cap portion so that it may be easily severed from the cap portion when the cap is twisted relative to the retaining ring. Preferably this is accomplished by providing a series of bridge connections 18 betweenthe cap portion and the retaining ring portion with elongated slots 19 separating the cap portion and the retaining ring portion intermediate the bridges 18. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, four such bridges 18 are provided but it will be readily understood that any desirable number of bridges may be used and all that is necessary is that the connection between the retaining ring and the cap portion be weakened so that the closure member may be readily broken or severed upon the application of a twisting force to the cap portion with the retaining ring being held stationary. I

If desired the top of the cap portion of the closure may be generally crown shaped as indicated at 21 and knurled about its periphery to facilitate gripping the cap portion by the user. Additionally, a sealing member 22 may be provided in the crown portion of the cap to seat against the top of the container and seal the container 3 when the cap is applied to the container. In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the crown 21 is of larger diameter than the internal diameter of the retaining ring portion to eliminate the nesting of the closures and facilitate their use in an automatic cap feeder.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of means on the retaining ring portion 17 of the closure member to engage the container and prevent relative rotation between the container and the retaining ring while permitting free axial movement of the retaining ring relative to the container. To accomplish this, a plurality of axialiy extending grooves 23 are provided in the retaining ring portion of closure extending entirely about the circumference of the retaining ring with a uniform spacing provided between the axis of each groove so that the retaining ring may readily fit down over the fiange portion 14 of the container with the ribs 15 engaged within the grooves 23. The grooves in the retaining ring are closely spaced together and the grooves and ribs have a relatively small transverse dimension with respect to the circumference of the retaining ring and container so that there is no need to accurately index the closure member with respect to the container when applying the closure member to the container. With this construction as long as the closure member and container are in substantial axial alignment during the application of the closure member to the container, the closure memher will readily seat on the neck of the container upon the application of a small axial force, and the tapered portion of the ribs 15 on the container will cause the rotational movement of the closure member relative to the container so that the ribs 15 readily enter the grooves 23 provided in the closure member.

In order to assemble the closure member 10 and con tainer 11, the closure member is positioned over the neck of the container so that the seal portion 22 abuts the extreme outer end of the neck with the grooves 23, in the retaining ring portion of the closure engaged over the ribs 15 on the neck of the container, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

A compressive radial force is then applied to the side walls of the cap portion of the closure member distorting the material in the closure and forming threads 25 in the cap portion of the closure corresponding or conforming to the threads 13 on the container, as shown in FIG. 6. With this construction, the retaining ring portion of the closure member is free to move axially relative to the container but is restrained from rotational movement with respect to the container; while the cap portion of the closure member is free to move along a spiral path relative to the container. Thus, when it is desired to remove the closure member from the container, the cap portion of the closure member is rotated in a direction to unscrew the cap portion thereby fracturing the bridge connections 18. After the cap member has been removed from the container, the retaining ring, which has been severed from the cap portion may be easily removed from the container along a straight path axially of the container. Preferably, the grooves 23 of the retaining ring are so dimensioned in the axial direction that when the retaining ring is secured to the cap and the cap is sealed on the container, a clearance space is provided between the upper ends of the grooves and the upper ends of the ribs. With this, the retaining ring will drop downward away from the cap upon being severed from the cap; for example, to the position illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, and give a visual indication that the container has been previously opened. I

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the pres ent invention provides a novel tamper-proof closure memher for a container which is effective in sealing a con tainenand which may be easily removed when desired. Additionally, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel tamper-proof closure member for a container which may be applied to a container by automatic capping mechanism without the necessity for accurately indexing the closure member relative to a container.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may be incorporated and. embodied therein within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination, a container and a closure member adapted to be removably secured to the container; said container having an open ended neck portion with at least one external spiral thread portion thereon, an annular flange on said neck at the opposite side of said thread portion from the open end of said neck, said flange having a series of ribs positioned about the periphery thereof extending generally parallel to the axis of said neck portion, said closure member including a generally cylindrical cap portion ha ing one end adapted to seat on the neck of said container to close the same and an annular side wall extending downwardly from said one end, a retaining ring portion formed integrally with said cap portion and connected to the annular side wall of said cap portion in a position coaxial with the cap portion, at least one fracturable bridge member at the junction between said retaining ring and the annular side wall of said cap portion so that said retaining ring may be readily broken away from said cap portion, means defining a plurality of closely spaced grooves positioned uniformly about said retaining ring in a direction parallel to the axis of said retaining ring and said annular side wall of said cap portion, said grooves extending longitudinally of said retaining ring from the end of said retaining ring remote from said junction and terminating short of said junction and corresponding in shape to the shape of the ribs on said container flange, said closure member being adapted to be positioned over said container neck portion with the grooves in said retaining ring overlying the ribs of said container, and the annular side wall of said cap portion being deformable to conform to the shape of the sprrar thread portion on said container neck.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said grooves terminate short of the junction between said retaining ring and said cap portion and wherein the ribs on said container flange terminate in rounded end portions short of the end of the flange adjacent the container thread portion.

3. Apparatus in acordance with claim 2 wherein the rounded ends of said ribs are spaced from the ends of said grooves when said closure member is positioned over said container neck portion.

4. A tamperproof container-closure structure comprising in combination:

(a) a container having an open entrance end neck portion with at least one spiral thread formation of right cylindrical trace,

(1)) a right cylindrical unthreaded annular portion below the thread formation concentric with the trace thereof and of a diameter at least equal to the maximum trace diameter or" the crest of the thread formation,

(c) a series of similar lugs carried by and positioned about the periphery of the unthreaded annular portion in generally parallel relationship to the axis of the neck portion,

(d) said lugs being peripherally equi-spaced and ex tending outwardly beyond the unthreaded annular portion in concentric cylindrical trace therewith,

(e) a closure shell of cup-shaped right cylindrical configuration having its closed end adapted to seat across the entrance to the neck portion of the container With its cylindrical depending skirt overlying the maximum crest diameter trace of the thread formation on the container neck,

(f) a right cylindrical tamperproof band formed in-v tegrally and coaxially with said cylindrical skirt and extending in overlying disposition with respect to the unthreaded annular portion and outwardly extending lugs below the thread formation on the container neck,

(g) said tamperproof band being circumferentially concentric With the right cylindrical skirt,

(h) a circumferentially fracturable zone separating the skirt and tamperproof band portions of the closure shell located axially within the depth of the tamperproof band portion,

(i) a plurality of similar equi-spaced inwardly directed lobes confined within the tamperproof band,

(j) said lobes extending inwardly and terminating in a circumferential trace concentric with the annular fig]? cylindrical unthreaded portion of the container nec (k) said lobes being axially registrable within the spaces between the outwardly extending lugs and providing interference therewith against rotation of the closure shell on the container neck, and

(I) said skirt portion of the closure shell being adapted to be deformed into conformity with the thread formation on the container neck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sheldon et al. July 26, 1938 2,367,317 Thomas Jan. 16, 1945 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER AND A CLOSURE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE CONTAINER; SAID CONTAINER HAVING AN OPEN ENDED NECK PORTION WITH AT LEAST ONE EXTERNAL SPIRAL THREAD PORTION THEREON, AN ANNULAR FLANGE ON SAID NECK AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID THREAD PORTION FROM THE OPEN END OF SAID NECK, SAID FLANGE HAVING A SERIES OF RIBS POSITIONED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID NECK PORTION, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER INCLUDING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CAP PORTION HAVING ONE END ADAPTED TO SEAT ON THE NECK OF SAID CONTAINER TO CLOSE THE SAME AND AN ANNULAR SIDE WALL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID ONE END, A RETAINING RING PORTION FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID ONE END, A PORTION AND CONNECTED TO THE SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP PORTION IN A POSITION COAXIAL WITH THE CAP PORTION, AT LEAST ONE FRACTURABLE BRIDGE MEMBER AT THE JUNCTION BETWEEN SAID RETAINING RING AND THE ANNULAR SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP PORTION SO THAT SAID RETAINING RING MAY BE READILY BROKEN AWAY FROM SAID CAP PORTION, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY SPACED GROOVES POSITIONED UNIFORMLY ABOUT SAID RETAINING RING IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID RETAINING RING AND SAID ANNULAR SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP PORTION, SAID GROOVES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID RETAINING RING FROM THE END OF SAID RETAINING RING REMOTE FROM SAID JUNCTION AND TERMINATING SHORT OF SAID JUNCTION AND CORRESPONDING IN SHAPE TO THE SHAPE OF THE RIBS ON SAID CONTAINER FLANGE, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED OVER SAID CONTAINER NECK PORTION WITH THE GROOVES IN SAID RETAINING RING OVERLYING THE RIBS OF SAID CONTAINER, AND THE ANNULAR SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP PORTION BEING DEFORMABLE TO CONFORM TO THE SHAPE OF THE SPIRAL THREAD PORTION ON SAID CONTAINER NECK. 